Process of use of a device for Cornea Transplantation

ABSTRACT

The object of this patent belongs to the field of opthalmology and is a surgical instrument ( 1 ), whose using allows the execution of punctuate of cornea transplant without the use of suture; consists to a set of arms segments interconnected through a wire, “prolene” ( 2 ) of small diameter, which goes through internally structured along the body of each segment, with the first segment of an arc, called the guide ( 3 ), is conformed by a bow of 300 degrees with a diameter circular section to be defined and rounded edge, the second segment of an arc, called the main arc ( 4 ), is the first proof of the number of rings cooptation, preferably built into a material called PMMA, whose arc can vary from 300 to 400 degrees, with thick set and horizontal sections and oblique tangential to the surface of the cornea and the third segment of an arc, called secondary arc ( 5 ), which has a greater thickness of the primary segment ( 4 ).

FIELD OF INVENTION

This patent for the invention Privilege belongs to the field of opthalmology and is a surgical device, which the use allows the realization of penetrating the cornea transplant without the use of suture.

The device for cornea transplants, without suture can make a surgical procedure to transplant the cornea with superior results for traditional techniques adopted and is designed with intelligent and original provision constructive, aiming to provide a procedure for low-cost, adding requirements of accuracy and reliability, and reproducibility, reaffirming its utilitarian practicality, giving the customer, freedom and additional option of choice in the similar market, offering numerous opportunities and benefits, becoming a particular model of great expectation for the ophthalmic industry.

HISTORY OF INVENTION

The cornea transplant is a complex procedure, which is currently held by the junction of the central portion of a cornea donor, with the peripheral portion of the cornea recipient. The transplantation of cornea is a very important process for the resolution of many diseases that affect significant part of the world population, is the loss of transparency of the cornea, or the modification of their curvature with induction of abnormalities in the projection of light to the retina and consequent visual limitation. In the cornea transplantation, the setting, the capping and cooptation between the tissue donor and recipient tissue, is crucial to achieving a satisfactory outcome optical and functional after surgery. Currently the procedure is performed through a mechanical trephination the cornea recipient with the withdrawal of a button while a patient's cornea donor trephination, where the surgeon ophthalmologist get a button corneal donor, which has a circular format, which can vary depending on diameter of the surgery purpose. After adequate preparation of donor tissue, which can be obtained in artificial anterior chamber to facilitate the handling, the donated cornea is then placed in the same position where there cornea (already trephinated) of patients receiving the new cornea. After positioning and smoothing the cornea donor, sutures are made with yarn small size, usually of Nylon 10-0, separated in the vast majority of cases, in order to obtain the best possible junction between the tissue recipient and donor. For that to occur, it is essential to a proper process trephination of both corneas that are made by different types of mechanical trephination. There can be no openings between the donor and recipient tissue to prevent the leakage of aqueous humor, present in the anterior chamber of the eye. What occurs in the correct sealing sutures, it is necessary that the points are tight, so there is a large induction of ABNORMALITIES in the format of previous surface of the cornea, which eventually resulted in the induction of large astigmatism. With the advent of the incorporation of technology, “Femtosecond Laser” in medical practice, particularly in opthalmology, new opportunities for preparation of cuts are being proposed in the cornea. Currently exists the possibility of conducting the trephination both the cornea recipient, as the cornea donor, so more complex with precise incisions in the plans vertical, horizontal and with tangential strong cuts to the surface of the cornea, whose depths can be established and the planned in sync between the tissue donor and recipient, with increasing precision of the procedure.

State of Technical Disabled Points

Despite the transplantation of corneas are largely made, there is still some drawbacks as the surgical procedure in question. The sutures in the cornea transplant must be carried out very carefully, so that a plan is perfectly aligned obtained in front of the corneal surface, so that a surface regular. However, even if there is a perfect suture, whether separate or continuous, it is technically impossible to maintain even the reproductively and predictability of the outcome of a point to another, even if performed by a single surgeon. This variability results in cornea post-operative astigmatism, which are often found in practice surgery in opthalmology, and is the main agent limiter of good visual quality for the patient to undergo transplantation of cornea.

The advent of “Femtosecond laser” opened new perspectives and new ways for the realization of the cornea intersectional surgery and transplants of corneas, lamellar or penetrating, high precision, but there is still great restriction on the applicability and on the costs of these procedures.

Although the cuts to prepare for corneas are increasingly precise and predictable with Femtosecond Laser, there is the need of continuous suture or separate proportional to the sealing of the anterior chamber of the eye with the cooptation between the tissues yet, which virtually negates the effect optimized and precise offered by Femtosecond Laser. Currently, are often required other surgical procedures after the transplantation of cornea to bring about a surface with regular and balanced sphericity to provide good vision to the patient and for that you can use the Excimer Laser to settle the area after the transplant. The Femtosecond Laser has been used to make selective cuts of cornea donors and recipients with the production of thin corneal thickness and with diameters defined, which has provided an improvement in the results of lamellar cornea transplants, such as transplants endothelial whose technique is still in evolution. Other options such as the use of intra-stomal ring and, more recently, therapy using the cross linking of collagen has gained popularity, though still missing randomized clinical trials to test its effect in the long term.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has been thought on possible improvements to the surgical procedures of cornea transplant have a better and more reliable technical condition and a better result and predictability that has led the inventor to develop, design and develop the object of this patent, “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE”, which conceives an apparatus for making implants in the cornea, which dispenses with the completion of the manual suturing, whether continuous or separate.

The device consists in a series of segments of arms semi-rigid, interconnected through a wire which pass internally structured the body of each segment of the arc and makes small size enough to go through within the rigid structure of the segments of rings, without changing their shape and resistance.

So, this patent, “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” was planned aiming to obtain an ophthalmic device implants in the stroma of the cornea, extremely efficient, properly developed and devised to allow the surgeons to have reliability, safety and low cost, performing their duties with efficiency and simplicity, demonstrating unmatched versatility and practicality, incorporating unique features.

The device for cornea transplants, without suture is built with durable materials and recognized by the international literature, inert for the corneal tissue, and has robust characteristics and offers ophthalmic surgeons, quality, economy, security, reliability and predictability of outcome of cornea transplant.

The characterization of this request for patent for the invention Privilege proposal is now being made through drawings representing the “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE”, so that the product can be fully reproduced by appropriate technical, allowing full characterization of the object claimed functionality.

From the figures compiled, which express the best or preferred way of conducting the product sometimes idealized, is based on the descriptive part of the report, through a detailed and consecutive numbering, where it clarifies things that would be understood the representation adopted, to determine clearly the protection submitted.

These figures are purely illustrative and may vary, since no escaping the originally requested in this case of patent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For better understanding and comprehension, the “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” which is claimed, has attached itself illustrative drawings, where you see:

Picture 1—shows a device view for cornea transplants, without suture, where it is seen: the segment of arc guide, the arc main segment and the third arc segment, united by a thread of “prolene.”

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF HIRES

In accordance with the illustration above, the “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” idealizes an apparatus consisting of a series of arm segments of interconnected through a wire, of small arms, which internally goes through the body structure of each segment of the arc. The arc (3) first segment, called “Segment Guide,” is a segment of an arc, whose structure is presented as training in an arc preferably made of Polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA), which can vary from 160 to 330 degrees with circular section and rounded edge, to help slide inside the tunnel and progress made previously by Femtosecond Laser, both the cornea donor, as the recipient. As this is a circular segment, its diameter can be made up ranging from 5 to 11 mm, depending on the purpose of transplantation and the surgeon planning. This segment Guide would be set at one second segment of the ring (4) by wire, “prolene” (2), which is the number of rings first proof “cooptation”, called “major segment”, also built preferably of PMMA, whose structure is also according to the segment of an arc that can vary from 270 to 360 degrees, with thickness defined sections, horizontal and oblique tangential to the surface of the cornea or circular cross section. That segment of an arc called “Segment Home” (4) has both ends attached to a thread of “prolene 10-0” (2), which goes through internally and along its body. The function of prolene wire is to bring the Home segment inside the tunnel made in the cornea donor and recipient by Femtosecond Laser, after the passage of the Segment Guide that gives small size and edge to facilitate their integration and advancement. At the end of the prolene wire portion (2) that emerges from the primary segment (4) there may be a third segment of arc (5) whose size will be the same diameter of the main segment and also the segment Guide, however submit thickness that may be presented in 50% higher compared with the main segment (4) to provide greater firmness cooptation between the cornea donor and cornea recipient, if the doctor understands that the Home segment was not enough to adequately receive the junction of cornea donor and recipient cornea. This accessory device may not be necessary. After the insertion of the main segment in the tunnel made by the Femtosecond Laser will be held the separation between the other segments with the cutting of wire, prolene, so as to remain only 1 segment in Estroma 5 Cornea in depth scheduled by the surgeon in Femtosecond Laser, that will provide the same depth in the alignment between the cornea donor and recipient cornea. The ends of prolene wires may be nodded by the surgeon to increase the stability between the ends of the rigid segment now implanted in the cornea. This segment will remain in the cornea until they get the natural healing between the cornea donors and recipients.

It can be seen through the foregoing that the “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE,” now in question, it is characterized as an apparatus that allows the realization of penetrating the cornea transplant and assisted prepared by Femtosecond Laser, without using suture, which, as we have evidence on the basis of analyses and pictures shown, many technical differences on the conventional models in the market, as well as constructive and functional characteristics completely different from those relevant state of the technical.

For the advantages it offers, and, for be of truly innovative features that meet all the requirements of novelty and originality of its kind, this “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” meet necessary and sufficient conditions to earn the privilege of Invention. 

1. “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” is characterized by a surgical instrument (1) consists of a series of segments of arms interconnected through a flexible wire (2) consisting of “prolene” or other flexible material inert to the cornea, with a diameter reduced, which goes through internally and structured along the body of each segment.
 2. “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” according to claim 1 is characterized by the fact 10 of the first segment of an arc, called “Guide Segment” (3), conformed by an arch that can vary from 270 to 330 degrees with section move and rounded edge, the second segment of an arc, called “Main Segment” (4), is the first proof of the number of rings cooptation, preferably built into a material called PMMA, whose structure is an arc of training that may vary 270 to 360 degrees, with thickness defined sections and horizontal and oblique tangential to the surface of the cornea and the third segment of an arc, called “Secondary Segment” (5), has size greater than the thickness of the primary segment (4).
 3. “DEVICE FOR CORNEA TRANSPLANTATION WITHOUT SUTURE” according to claim 1 is characterized by the fact the first segment of arc (3) has one end (6) attached to a thread of “prolene 10-0” (2), which is set in the initial end (7) of the second ring (4) and transfers lengthwise through the arched his body in shape, being fixed at its far end (8) and fixed sequence of the third segment arc (5) in its Initial end (9) and transfers the secondary segment. 